(xviii.)

Lazarus was quite happy with his progress, indeed. After a moderate amount of grinding, he had reached level 6 near the end of his long trip. Of course, not needing food, water, or sleep made the journey progress a lot faster. He opened up his status after his most recent level up:

Status:

Name: Lazarus

Race: Lesser Lich

Sex: Male

Class: Necromancer

Skills:

Death's Companion – Summon a Unique intelligent companion (evolving skill), Level 1

Summon Jet - Allows you to summon Death's Companion Jet back to the summoner. Level MAX

Create Lesser Undead – Create small animal undead that can follow basic orders, Level 1

Pain Nullification – Level MAX

Mana Manipulation – Level MAX

Unarmed Combat – User gains access to martial skills (Requires the unarmed skill as a prerequisite). Damage increased while not wielding a weapon.

Charged Strike – Level 1

Spell Craft – Level N/A

Herb Gathering – Enables the user to have a greater than average success rate at gathering wild herbs or other plants. Level 1

Appraisal – Allows user to appraise information about anything connected to them or the world around them. Level 2

Intimidation – Put pressure on the target to force compliance. Level 1

Spells:

King's Great Sword – Create a better than average sword with aesthetic appeal. Mana cost: 500 per sword. If the sword is destroyed, the mana will be returned to the caster. Level MAX

Holy Knight's Armor – Garb the caster in full plate armor with holy aesthetic. If the armor is destroyed, the mana will be returned to the caster. Mana cost: 800

Level MAX

Iron Maiden – Create 10 Iron spears to impale a targeted area at different angles. Remains materialized for 30 seconds. Mana cost 200. Level 1.

Magic Aptitude: Metal

Major Stats:

Level: 6 Elite

Heath: 1,000/1,000 Mana: 1,300/1,300

Minor Stats:

Strength:10, Dexterity:10, Intelligence:17

Wisdom:15 Charisma: 0 Luck:15

Lazarus had gotten five new minor stat points from his new levels. He placed three of those points into Dexterity and the rest into Intelligence. As a skeletal being with no perceivable muscles, tendons, or connective tissues, he figured that allocating most of the points into dexterity would help with his stiff movements in the armor. He was quite pleased with the results.

An already intelligent being, the intelligence points did not appear to increase his raw intellect, but to increase the chance of getting new skills. Any skill that used information was being buffed, not to mention his thoughts were flowing more freely like a snow-swollen river.

The monsters he killed along the way consisted of a couple of dog-sized spiders as he passed into a forest, followed by a pack of ten or so wolves in the heart of the forest, and several dog-headed humanoids the Appraisal skill called 'kobolds'.

They reminded Lazarus somewhat of the Anubis or other animal-headed gods from Egyptian mythology, only with smaller, hunched over bodies. Further observation informed him that there were ranks to the kobolds.

Standing tall in his makeshift holy armor with King's Sword in hand, he was surrounded by a group of two normal looking kobolds and three larger ones. The kobolds circled around him and the first one struck him from behind. Lazarus did not even acknowledge the attack or bother to return his slash; rather, he rushed forward and, with a stomp, and stabbed one of the larger ones directly in the throat.

The kobold went into a panic, scrabbling fruitlessly at the blade. Unfortunately for that one, it only served to expedite the end. Enraged, the other four swarmed Lazarus, attempting to strike him as one while he was busy with the larger one. He did not bother to withdraw the sword from the large kobold's throat. In one motion, he instead turned the blade horizontally and slashed at the small kobold to his right, effectively beheading the first and leaving only three alive.

The slaughter did not stop there. Jet, always by his side, dove under the Lich's legs to maul the last of the small kobolds. The remaining two larger kobolds briefly hesitated. Panicked, one decided to turn tail and run while the other dove for Lazarus' legs.

Trying to save the leader, Lazarus guessed.

He ignored the one at his feet; it couldn't even break his stance. He hurled the King's Blade, hitting the fleeing kobold leader in the spine. Amazingly, the attack did not kill it. However, it was gravely wounded and was unable to retreat.

Lazarus dismissed the blade and cast King's Great Sword, bringing the blade back to his hand.

Almost feels like cheating, he thought briefly.

He knelt down and stabbed his sword hilt deep into the final kobold. Yet another successful scuffle. Lazarus relaxed his guard for a moment and Jet came over, tail wagging. Lazarus swore that was the only way he could tell the wolf sized skeletal dog was happy. Grinning broadly, he bent down and patted the dog on the skull, praising him for his help.

“Good Boy, Jet. Nice assist.” The dog's tail wagged faster, the bones clinking together furiously as he recognized the distinction between 'good boy' and 'Good Boy'. Yes, he was a Good Boy.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Surprised, Lazarus looked up to see a young man with black tied up hair in dark Taoist robes standing on an overly ornate Oriental broadsword. Strange, he hadn't been there before. The Lich stood to greet the young man.

“Good day, Taoist. How can I help you?”

Tang Lee looked taken aback, surprised to be called a Taoist in a lower realm. After a brief moment he recovered and returned the greeting out of habit.

“O Great Noble of the Tal Kingdom, I was sent here to your realm by my Sect to be guided to the Immortal's resting place.”

Lazarus was immediately very suspicious of the Taoist floating in font of him. He had not come across any others like him. Of course, he hadn't come across all that many people so far in his new life, but this one... was not right. He did not belong here. Looking closer, the Lich spied fresh blood on the hilt of the floating blade.

When he studied the way in the past as part of his research, he found it hard to believe anyone would follow that path. Not to mention it required hard training from childhood. Lazarus, being well in his thirties at the time, passed on researching that particular way of life further.

The Taoist spoke up again, sounding somewhat annoyed at the pause.

“You are a noble, are you not?

Lazarus frowned internally and attempted to use the Appraisal skill on the Taoist.

ERROR. ERROR. ERROR.